Mountain Reservoirs Land Management Plan

Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee

In July 2009, TVA issued a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) that examined the potential effects of four alternative ways of managing approximately 6,220 acres of its public lands on the mountain reservoirs (Chatuge, Hiwassee, Blue Ridge, Nottely, Ocoees 1, 2, and 3, Apalachia, and Fontana) in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Under the proposed plan, land would be allocated into broad categories or “zones” that include Project Operations, Sensitive Resource Management, Natural Resource Conservation, Industrial, Developed Recreation, and Shoreline Access.

In the FEIS, four alternatives were considered to guide land use approvals, private water use facility permitting, and resource management decisions on the mountain reservoirs. The alternatives include continuing management under the existing Forecast System (Alternative A, the No Action Alternative) and three Action Alternatives (Alternatives B, C, and D). Various tracts (i.e., “parcels”) of TVA land would be allocated to specified uses under the three Action Alternatives. These allocations support TVA goals, balance competing demands, respond to the needs of stakeholders, and help meet TVA responsibilities to protect natural and cultural resources. TVA’s Preferred Alternative is Alternative D, the Blended Alternative.

The TVA Board of Directors approved the Mountain Reservoirs Land Management Plan at its November 19, 2009 meeting. TVA issued a Record of Decision on December 7, 2009.

Documents

The documents below may be accessed by clicking on the underlined link. PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader. Paper or CD ROM copies may be requested from the contacts listed below.

Errata Sheet (PDF, 80kb)
A listing of corrections to the FEIS.

Overview - Mountain Reservoirs Land Plan FEIS (PDF, 64 kb)
A synopsis of the alternatives, the preferred alternative, and findings.

Final Environmental Impact Statement

The FEIS in its entirety may be downloaded by clicking on the link below. The FEIS has also been divided into sections for faster downloading.

Complete Final EIS and Plan (PDF, 10.2mb)
Includes the complete text of the FEIS

Public Comments and Responses (PDF, 2.7 mb)
Responses to comments received on the draft EIS

Summary and Table of Contents (PDF, 222 kb)
Includes an abstract, a summary of the issues and alternatives considered, the table of contents, and a table of acronyms and abbreviations.

Chapter 1: Purpose of and Need for Action (PDF, 2.2 mb)
Background, purpose and need, the decision, other pertinent environmental reviews and documentation, the scoping process, the public review process, and necessary federal permits, licenses, and consultations.

Chapter 2: Alternatives Including the Proposed Action (PDF, 1.9 mb)
The allocation process, alternatives, comparison of alternatives, impacts summary, the Preferred Alternative, and summary of TVA commitments and proposed mitigation measures.

Chapter 3: Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences (PDF, 947 kb)
Detailed description of the environmental setting, a discussion of the indentified resources, other issues of concern in the area around the mountain reservoirs, and a discussion of the environmental consequences under the four alternatives for each specified resource.

Chapters 4, 5 and 6: Supporting Information (PDF, 185 kb)
List of preparers, list of agencies, organizations, and persons to whom copies are sent, literature cited, and index.

Appendix A (PDF, 287 kb)
TVA Land Policy

Appendix B (PDF, 2.5 mb)
Scoping Document

Appendix C (PDF, 100 kb)
Mountain Bike Trails Inventory in Mountain Reservoirs Region

Appendix D (PDF, 111 kb)
Suitability/Capability Analyses

Appendix E (PDF, 124 kb)
Forecast System Definitions

Appendix F (PDF, 421 kb)
Comparison of Alternative A, B, C, and D by Reservoir and Parcel Number

Appendix G (PDF, 155 kb)
Mountain Lakes Boating Capacity

Appendix H (PDF, 2.2 mb)
Archaeology Programmatic Agreements

Appendix I (PDF, 136 kb)
Scenic Value Criteria for Scenery Inventory and Management

Appendix J (PDF, 112 kb)
Flood Profiles

Appendix K (PDF, 126 kb)
Common Aquatic Species from Chatuge, Hiwassee, Blue Ridge, Nottely, Ocoee 1, Apalachia, and Fontana Reservoirs

Index (PDF, 130 kb)

Other Related Documents

Maps of mountain reservoirs

Land planning process

Record of Decision

For additional information:

To obtain a copy of the FEIS, contact:

Mountain Reservoir Land Management Plan
ATTN: Jim Williamson
TVA NEPA Compliance
400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT 11D
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

(865) 632-6418
jfwilliamson@tva.gov

Printed copies of the entire FEIS are available for viewing at most public libraries and courthouses in the Mountain Reservoirs area.

For more information, call 800-TVA-LAND, or e-mail tvainfo@tva.gov (attn. Evan Crews). In the subject line, type “Mountain Reservoirs Land Plan FEIS.” Please include your USPS mailing address.